Purnululu is the name given to the sandstone area of the Bungle Bungle Range by the Kija Aboriginal people. The name means sandstone or may be a corruption of bundle grass. The range, lying fully within the park, has elevations as high as 578 metres above sea level. It is famous for the sandstone domes, unusual and visually striking with their striping in alternating orange and grey bands. The banding of the domes is due to differences in clay content and porosity of the sandstone layers: the orange bands consist of oxidised iron compounds in layers that dry out too quickly for cyanobacteria to multiply; the grey bands are composed of cyanobacteria growing on the surface of layers of sandstone where moisture accumulates. We wandered through the domes, visited Cathederal Gorge and Echidna Chasm before taking an helicopter flight over the range - this afforded a view that is impossible from the ground showing just how difficult (if not impossible) it would be to travel across the plateau by foot.
Escarpment view from campground
Our "luxurious" safari tents in the campground
beautiful red grevillea - also seen in photo above
We wandered through the domes, visited Cathederal Gorge and Echidna Chasm before taking an helicopter flight over the range - this afforded a view that is impossible from the ground showing just how difficult (if not impossible) it would be to travel across the plateau by foot.